Pohjola Bank mandated leads for a euro-denominated Tier 2 benchmark on Monday, but despite a smattering of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) and Tier 2 supply this week a deal for the Finnish issuer did not emerge against the volatile market backdrop.
OP Mortgage Bank sold its first euro benchmark in almost two years on Monday, a Eu1bn seven year issue, but an OP-Pohjola official said that the market would not have to wait so long until its next deal.
Pohjola Bank priced a Eu1.5bn dual tranche senior unsecured deal on Monday that comprised a fixed rate issue in the seven year “sweet spot”, but FIG flow activity was otherwise limited this week.
Finland’s OP-Pohjola Group is seeking to fully acquire Pohjola Bank, having today (Thursday) announced a tender offer for all the shares of the bank that it does not already own.
Svenska Handelsbanken re-opened the FIG flow primary market after a summer lull with a strong Eu1.25bn seven year senior unsecured transaction on Monday, paving the way for a flurry of issuance from its Nordic peers.
Svenska Handelsbanken is set to become the third Nordic issuer to tap the Samurai market within the space of a month, with soft marketing for the Swedish bank’s debut, senior unsecured issue expected to start tomorrow (Friday).
Pohjola Bank is set to launch its first Samurai issue in the coming weeks, with the Finnish issuer having visited Japan for a deal-related roadshow ahead of the planned senior unsecured transaction.
Nordic issuers Pohjola Bank and Nordea tapped into a global rally to price senior unsecured issues in the euro and dollar markets, respectively, on Tuesday, with each achieving attractive levels, according to lead syndicate officials.
Ten Nordic banks had their outlooks revised from stable to negative by Standard & Poor’s on Monday because of increasing economic risks arising from a longer than expected recession in the euro-zone.
The Covered Bond Report’s Neil Day spoke with Lauri Iloniemi, head of group funding at OP-Pohjola, about the Finnish issuer’s funding strategy.